Rainforest

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Location: rainforests lie in the tropics. Rainfall: rainforests receive at least 80 inches (200 cm) of rain per year. Canopy: rainforests have a, which is the layer of branches and leaves formed by closely spaced rainforest trees. Most of the plants and animals in the rainforest live in the canopy. The canopy may be 100 feet (30 m) above the ground. Biodiversity: rainforests have a high level of biological diversity or biodiversity. Biodiversity is the name for all living thingslike plants, animals, and fungifound in an ecosystem. Scientists believe that about half of the plants and animals found on Earths land surface live in rainforests. Symbiotic relationships between species: species in the rainforest often work together. In a symbiotic relationship, two different species benefit by helping each otheryou can think of it as a partnership. For example, some plants produce small housing structures and sugar for ants. In return the ants protect the plants from other insects that want to feed on the plants leaves.

Abiotic Factors Daylight length Drainage Atmospheric gases Light levels Average temperature Relative humidity Topography Salinity Pollutants Rainfall Soil type and quality You can measure rainfall in a rain gauge, salinity with a salinity meter and light levels with a light meter Rainforest stratification

Biotic Factors Humans Logging Pollution Deforestation Global warming Predators Parasites Herbivores Competitors Collaborators

Cassowaries Cassowaries are large, with heights of up to two meters and females weighing as much as 76kg. They are very distinctive, with black plumage, a blue face and neck with red wattles, a large beak and a helmetlike casque on their heads. They also have heavy legs and sharp daggerlike toes. The Cassowary has thick course feathers that help with protecting the bird from the thick dense vegetation of the rainforest. The hard top on it's head is used as a shovel and for protection. Sharp claws for digging for food and as weaponry. Trees Because the weather is hot and wet, trees do not need thick bark to slow down moisture loss and have instead thin, smooth bark. The leaves of rainforest trees have adapted to cope with the large amount of rain. The leaves are big, thick and waxy, and have 'drip tips' to let the rain drain off quickly. Many large trees have huge ridges called buttresses near the base. They may be 10-12 meters high where they join into the trunk. They increase the surface area of a tree so that it can 'breathe in' more carbon dioxide and 'breathe out' more oxygen. Nutrients in the soil are near the surface, so the big rainforest trees have quite shallow roots. The buttresses support the trees. Bibliography http://daintreewildernesslodge.com.au/The-Cassowary-Bird.html http://www.mbgnet.net/index.html http://www.kidcyber.com.au/topics/biomerainfor3.htm

7/25/2012 5:09:00 PM

7/25/2012 5:09:00 PM